9 players nicknamed after Messi and how they fared after Martinez’s comment

Lionel Messi cemented his status as possibly the greatest of all time after captaining Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph in Qatar, and one of his teammates believes there will never be another like him.

The victory came after years of disappointment with the national team which he lost four Copa America finals and the 2014 World Cup final to Germany.

Emi Martinez's introduction to the national team marked the turnaround, and Messi is now a winner of three international trophies, including the UEFA-CONMEBOL Finalissima.

Martinez, speaking at an event in Kolkata, India, hailed his captain as the greatest of all time and made a bold claim about future generation players.

"Lionel Messi is the best ever player. There will be no Messi in the future, it’s hard to match him," he said via Goal.

Sports Brief looks at past stars nicknamed after the former Paris Saint-Germain attacker and how their careers fared.

1. Marko Marin

Possibly the most popular among them, Marko Marin, was nicknamed the German Messi due to his height and style of play, which resembles the Argentine's. He had a nomadic career where he played for 12 clubs, including Chelsea.

2. Mario Gotze


Another German star dubbed after the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, Gotze's career-highest moment brought tears to Messi's eyes. He scored the 2014 World Cup final-winning goal in the second half of extra time.

3. Alen Halilovic

The Croatian Messi is a free agent at 27 after he was released by his 11rh club, Rijeka, in January. He shared so many similarities to the former Barcelona superstar that he was signed by the Blaugrana in 2014 but spent most of his time with the B team before moving to Hamburg.

4. Sardar Azmoun

The Iranian Messi, Azmoun's best football, came during his three years spell at Zenit St Petersburg and with the national team. He currently plays for Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.

5. Gai Assulin

The Israeli stands at the same height as Messi and drew comparisons to him at a very young age. He came through the Barcelona academy and debuted for the national team at 16, in what was his final appearance - a testament to how much his career never picked up.

6. Christian Atsu

The late winger drew comparisons to the six-time golden shoe winner after showing early potential and signed for Chelsea. He tragically passed away at 31 in the Turkey earthquake in February while playing for Hatayspor.

7. Alan Dzagoev


The Russian Messi spent the majority of his career at CSKA Moscow. He joined Rubin Kazan in 2022 after 14 years. At 33, no one can live up to the Messi hype, but he did have a good career.

8. Mohamed Salah

The Egyptian Messi, Salah, is having a great career. At 31, he's a Premier League and Champions League winner. He is also a two-time African Footballer of the Year.

9. Stanley Okoro

He was dubbed the Nigerian Messi after shining at the 2009 FIFA U17 World Cup. He moved to Spain with Almeria in 2011 and spent time on loan at Cherno More in the Bulgarian league. He returned to Nigeria with Abia Warriors in 2016.